Belon: the new seafood hotspot downtown!

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Belon’s “Le printemps commence au Belon – 5@7 VIP” media event, as one of their many guests. Formerly known as Notkins, Belon also features a 95% seafood menu (excluding desserts, of course) and boasts a beautifully decorated space downtown/in Old Montreal (just off of Berri and René-Lévesque). The cuisine is said to be “Early Coastal American” (not sure what that means) and features dishes like: crispy calamari, clam chowder, tuna tataki, fish tacos, surf n’ turf and of course, oysters! The majority, if not all, seafood is sustainable which is a great plus.

Because this was a media event, bubbles and wines were offered to all. I opted to stick with bubbles throughout my evening there, as the white wine on offer was Chardonnay and no me gusta (I don’t like it). I quite enjoyed the Famiglia Zonin Prosecco, which only costs $15.60 at the SAQ and so I would definitely purchase it for my own personal comsumption.

Of course, because Belon is an oyster bar first and foremost, they featured a variety of different kinds of oysters from all around the globe. I got to taste most of them, like the famous Belon oyster from France, which had a very distinct taste and coppery finish; definitely interesting, but I definitely prefer your more “typical” oysters 😉

Many platters of food also went around, with all sorts of bouchées, like: tempura shrimp, lobster bites, crab bites, steamed mussels with chimmichurri and lobster BLT – All were delicious!

I would love to come back to Belon for a romantic, seafood-filled date night and try many of their mouthwatering dishes. The steamed mussels and clams in a lobster broth, the lobster bisque (one of my favorite dishes!) and their clam bake seem particularly interesting and appetizing! Belon is also the perfect spot for a 5@7 with colleagues or friends, which you can enjoy at one of their beautiful and long bars, or outside on their terrasse.